Dual purpose banking envelope



1965 r R. D. OUSINS 3,169,692

' mm. PURPOSE BANKING ENVELOPE Filed 00;. s, 1963 /,/v:/E/vr0/e 190552706005/ 5 5/ Arron/5r United States Patent 3,169,692 DUAL PURPOSE B -I* GENVELOPE Robert D. Cousins, Jeflerson County, Ky., assignor to Curtis1000, Inc., St. Paul, Minn., a corporation of Minnesota Filed Oct. 8,1963, Ser. No. 314,664 Ciairns. (Cl. 229-72) This invention relates tobanking envelopes and is especially concerned with an envelope which isequally well suited for either postal banking or auto banking.

In postal banking a customer ordinarily places his cheeks, depositslips, etc., in a special folder or envelope, which he then encloses ina second envelope and mails it to the bank. The bank removes thecontents of the folder, inserts a receipt or other appropriate papers,encloses the folder in a second envelope, and returns it to thecustomer.

A common type of bank-by-mail envelope is formed from a rectangularsheet of paper folded in the center and sealed at one edge, being openat the left end and the top to permit insertion of checks, depositslips, customer identification card, currency etc. In order to make thecontents of the folder visible, a hole is often drilled through the twomajor panels of the folder. The customer inserts the folder in apre-addressed envelope provided by the bank (e.g., a No. 9); the bankreturns the folder and another envelope to the customer in a largerwindow envelope (e.g., a No. with the folder so positioned that thecustomers name, printed on one face of the folder, is visible. v

In drive-in banking, a customer conducts his banking business from hiscar window, enclosing checks, bills, change and a deposit slip inanother special envelope and handing it to the cashier. The cashierremoves the envelope contents, replaces them with a receipt and/0rfunds, as is appropriate to the circumstances, and returns the envelope.

A drive-in banking envelope typically has a currency recess, a coinpocket, and a fiap which closes the coin pocket and locks behind thecurrency recess; drive-in envelopes of this type are described andclaimed in Whitman US. Patents No. 2,863,599 and 2,936,945 and Clegg US.Patent No. 3,043,493. In the envelopes described in the Whitman patents,the flap is detachable and substantially the same size as the body ofthe envelope, serving as a deposit slip. Although extremely useful indrive-in banking, these envelopes suffer from the fact that they can beused only once. Additionally the detachable deposit slip-flap is undulylarge for convenient insertion behind the currency panel. Accordingly,even though the pocket could be used to hold a customers identificationcard, these envelopes have never proved attractive for use in postalbanking. The closing flap on the envelope described in the Clegg patentis easy to lock in place, but the pocket is so large that identificationcards are awkward to remove; this envelope, too, has thus not been usedfor postal banking. g

I have now devised a unique re-usable envelope which is simple tofabricate and highly suitable for use in both postal and drive-inbanking. As a result of this versatility, a bank may carry a smallerinventory of banking envelopes and needs to provide only one kind.Customers, who often do both postal and auto banking, may use thisenvelope for either purpose. My novel envelope is related to theenvelopes disclosed in the aforementioned patents, but differs incertain critical respects, as will be shown.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which likenumbers refer to like parts in the several views and in which:

FIGURE 1 illustrates a presently preferred envelope embodying myinvention;

FIGURE 2 illustrates the blank from which the envelope in FIGURE 1 isformed;

FIGURE 3 illustrates the blank of FIGURE 2 is an intermediate stage offolding;

FIGURE 4 represents an alternate envelope embodying my invention;

FIGURE .5 shows a blank from which the envelope in FIGURE 4 is formed;and

FIGURE 6 shows the blank of FIGURE 5 in an intermediate stage offolding.

Referring now to FIGURES 13, back panel 10 is adjoined at the right edgeby end panel 11, at the bottom by front panel 12, and at the top by flap14. Tab 13 adjoins both front panel 12 and end panel 11. The front faceof the distal portion of end panel 11 is provided with a gummed area 15,and the back surface of tab 13 is provided with a similarly gummed area16.

In forming the envelope shown in FIGURE 1 from the blank shown in FIGURE2, end panel 11 is folded to the left over panel 10, to which it isadhered by gummed area 15. Simultaneously tab 13 is folded over frontpanel 12, thereby creating the intermediate product illustrated inFIGURE 3. Front panel 12 is then folded upward over back panel 10 andend panel 11 gummed area 16 of tab 13 being adhered to the face of endpanel 11. The envelope of FIGURE 1 is thus so constructed that panel 10and end panel 11 cooperate to form a pocket 18 in which coins may beplaced. Likewise front panel 12 cooperates with back panel 10 and endpanel 11 to form a recess 19 in which bills, currency, deposit slips,etc., may be placed. In postal banking, where it may be undesirable tomail coins, the pocket formed by end panel 11 and back panel 10 maycontain a customers identification card. In any event, flap 14 is foldedover pocket 18 and tucked behind front panel 12, which serves to holditin place mechanically and prevent loss of the contents of pocket 18. v

The specific construction illustrated in FIGURES 1-3 is subject tonumerous variations, so long as certain critical facts are borne inmind. For example, front panel 12 is desirably constructed so that thereis a viewing point 17 at which the upper left corner of smallest checksor deposit slips placed in recess 18 should be visible. For most bankingpurposes this means that viewing point 17 should be located slightlyless than 6 inches from the right edge of the envelope and slightly lessthan 2 /2 inches from the lower edge of the envelope. Expressed inanother way, the distance from viewing point 17 to the bottom of theenvelope should ordinarily be on the order of /2 to the height of backpanel 10. The height of front panel 12 throughout the remainder of theenvelope may be the same as at viewing point 17, but it is generallydesirable to have this dimension nearly as great as the height of backpanel 10, both to insure greater protection for currency and to providea panel behind which flap 14 may be locked.

For maximum utility, i.e., so that the largest standard checks can alsobe accommodated, my novel envelope long and 3 inches high. For postalbanking an envelope of this size may be enclosed in a No. 9 envelope;the customers name and address are advantageously printed on the lowerleft portion of front panel 12 for use with a window envelope.

The, distance which flap 14 extends beyond the fold line separating itfrom back panel 1G is also related to the overall size of the envelopeand to the heighttof front panel 12 in the area where flap 14is'situ-ated. J I have found, for example, that the height offlap 14should ordinarily be at least 1 /2 inches in order to retain coins inpocket 18. Likewise, I have found that the height of flap 14 should besuch that when folded behind front panel 12 the distance from the distalportion of flapld to the bottom of the envelope is less than 2 /2inches, so that the top of bills or small checks may be covered by flap14. For ease in manipulating flap 14, however, the sum of (l) the heightof flap 14 and (2) the distance from the top of front panel 1210 thebottom of the envelope should generally be in the range. of 5/4 to 3/2the height of back panel 10. It will thus be seen that if front panel 12does not extend to the top of back panel It it is desirable that theheight of flap 14 be somewhat greater.

If desired, flap 14 may extend the full length of back panel 16; in suchcase, however, the shapes of flap 14 and front panel 12 should be socoordinatedthat there will be some point 17 where bills and small checkscan be seen after flap i4 is closed.

Referring now to FIGURES 4-6, it will be noted that back panel thisadjoined on the left by end panel 41, which has a gumrned area 45 alongits distal portion. Front panel 42 adjoins the lower edge, and flap 44adjoins the upper edge, of back panel 40. Tab 43 adjoins the right edgeof panel 40.

in forming the envelope shown in FIGURE 4 from the blank shown'in FIGURE5, end panel 41 is folded over the face of back panel 49, gummed area 45adhering the two panels together to define a currencyor depositcard-carrying pocket 48. Flap 43 is bent forward over a the face ofpanel 49, thereby exposing gurnmed area 46. Front panel 42 is thenfolded up over pocket 48, the right edge of front panel 42 being adheredto gumrned area 46 so as to define a currency recess 49 having closedbottom and right edges and opentop and left edges.

In the embodiment shown in FIGURES 4-6 pocket 48 is located at the leftend of the envelope, thus, a

normally right-handed person finds inconvenient to use pocket 48. Since,however, the open end of the envelope provides no aid in holding downflap 44, flap 44 must extend far enough toward the right that is may belocked into position behind front panel 42. In so doing,

The two embodiments of my invention just discussed are, as indicated,subject to numerous variations without departure from the spirit of myinvention. I Thus, tabs 13 or 43 may be eliminated, front panels 12 or42 being correspondingly directly adhered to the back panels 10 or 46.Likewise, pocket 48 shown in'FIGURES 4-6 may be positioned on the rightend of theenvelope, as illustrated in FIGURES 1-3. If desired, a pocketmay be formed at each end of the envelope.

What I claim is:

1. A banking envelope, suitable for both drive-in and postal banking,comprising.

, a rectangular back panel having a length of at least about 8%. inchesand a width of at least about 3 /2 inches,

substantially rectangular end panel adjacent one end of said back paneland positioned thereover, the height of said end panel being slightlyless than the height of said back panel and the lengthof said end panelbeing on the order of one-half that of said back panel, the end portionsof said end panel being joined to transverse portions of said backpanel,7 thereby forming a pocket suitable for. containing either coins or abanking identification card,. a front panel extending from the bottom ofsaid back' panel and folded over said back panel and said pocket, thelength of said front. panel being substantially the same as the lengthof said back panel, one end of said front panel being connected tothepanel immediately therebeneath, thereby forming a billorcheck-receivingrecess having a closed end and an open end, the height ofsaid front panel at a point slightly less than 6 inches from said closedend; being slightly lessthan 2 /2 inches,

a flap extending from the top of said back panel ad- 7 is on the orderof 5/4 to 3/2 the height of said back panel, a 1

the height of said flap at a point slightly less than 6'inches from saidclosed end being such that the combined width of said'iiap and said sidepanel is less than the width of said central panel, whereby said flapmay be readily folded over said pocket and tucked behind said frontpanel over the contents of said recess to keep said pocket closed, thecontents of saidrecess remaniing visible, said flap being readily liftedto examine or remove the contents of said, pocket. 2. The envelope ofclaim 1 wherein the closed end of said recess is at the same end of theenvelope as said pocket. t

3. The envelope of claim 2 wherein the width of said front panel at saidclosed end is only slightly less than the widthof said back panel.

4 The envelope of claim 3 wherein the length of said flap isapproximatelyequal to the length of ;said pocket. 5. A banking envelope,suitable for both drive-in and postal banking, comprising a rectangularback panel,

a substantially rectangular end panel extending from the right end ofsaid back panel and folded thereover, the height of said end panei beingslightly less than the height of said back panel and the length of saidend panelbeingon the order of one-half that of said back panel, thedistal portion of said end panel being adhered to a transverseintermediate portion of said back panel, thereby forming a pocket'suitable for containing either coins or a banking identification card,v i a front panelextending from the bottom of said back panel and foldedover said back panel and said pocket, the length of said front panelbeing substantially the same as the length of said back panel, the rightend of said frontpanel being connected to the panel immediatelytherebeneath, thereby forming a billor check-receiving recess having aclosed end and an open end, the height of said front panel at a pointspaced from said closed end being such that the upper left corner ofcurrency, positioned at the bottom and right of said recess, is visible,'flap extending from the top of said back panel adjacent said closed endand folded over said pocket,

the length of said flap being at least as great a the length of saidpocket, 7 V the height of said flap at the portion adjacent said closedend being such that (a) the flap extends to at least, slightly less thanthe width of curside panel is on the order of 5/4 to 3/2 the height ofsaid back panel,

the height of said flap at a point slightly less than the length ofcurrency from said closed end being such that the combined Width of saidflap and said side panel is less than the width of said central panel,

whereby said flap may be readily folded over said pocket and tuckedbehind said front panel over the contents of said recess to keep saidpocket closed, the contents of said recess remaining visible, said flapbeing readily lifted to examine or remove the contents of said pocket.

References fitted by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,855,138 10/58Hopkin 229-42 5 2,863,599 12/58 Whitman 229-42 2,936,945 5/60 Whitman229 72 3.026.019 3/62 Argabright 229 -72 3,043,493 7/62 Clegg 229-72 10GEORGE O. RALSTON, Primary Examiner.

FRANKLIN T. GARRETT, Examiner.

1. A BANKING ENVELOPE, SUITABLE FO R BOTH DRIVE-IN AND POSTAL BANKING,COMPRISING. A RECTANGULAR BACK PANEL HAVING A LENGTH OF AT LEAST ABOUT81/2 INCHES AND A WIDTH OF AT LEAST ABOUT 31/2 INCHES, A SUBSTANTIALLYRECTANGULAR END PANEL ADJACENT ONE EN DOF SAID BACK PANEL AND POSITIONEDTHEREOVER, THE HEIGHT OF SAID END PANEL BEING SLIGHTLY LESS THAN THEHEIGHT OF SAID BACK PANEL AND THE LENGTH OF SAID END PANEL BEING ON THEORDER OF ONE-HALF THAT OF SAID BACK PANEL, THE END PORTIONS OF SAID ENDPANEL BEING JOINED TO TRANSVERSE PORTIONS OF SAID BACK PANEL, THEREBYFORMING A POCKET SUITABLE FOR CONTAINING EITHER COINS OR A BANKINGIDENTIFICATION CARD, A FRONT PANEL EXTENDING FROM THE BOTTOM OF SAIDBACK PANEL AND FOLDED OVER SAID BACK PANEL AND SAID POCKET, THE LENGTHOF SAID FRONT PANEL BEING SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME AS THE LENGTH OF SAIDBACK PANEL, ONE END OF SAID FRONT PANEL BEING CONNECTED TO THE PANELIMMEDIATELY THEREBENEATH, THEREBY FORMING A BILLOR CHECK-RECEIVINGRECESS HAVING A CLOSED END AND AN OPEN END, THE HEIGHT OF SAID FRONTPANEL AT A POINT SLIGHTLY LESS THAN 6 INCHES FROM SAID CLOSED END BEINGSLIGHTLY LESS THAN 2 1/2 INCHES, A FLAP EXTENDING FROM THE TOP OF SIDBACK PANEL ADJACENT SAID CLOSED END AND FOLDED OVER SAID POCKET, THELENGTH OF SAID FLAP BEING AT LEAST AS GREAT AS THE LENGTH OF SAIDPOCKET, THE HEIGHT OF SAID FLAP AT THE PORTION ADJACENT SAID CLOSED ENDBEING SUCH THAT (A) THE FLAP EXTENDS TO AT LEAST SLIGHTLY LESS THAN 21/2 INCHES FROM THE LOWER EDGE OF THE ENVELOPE AND (B) THE COMBINEDHEIGHT OF SAID FLAP AND SAID SIDE PANEL IS ON THE ORDER OF 5/4 TO 3/2THE HEIGHT OF SAID BACK PANEL, THE HEIGHT OF SAID FLAP AT A POINTSLIGHTLY LESS THAN 6 INCHES FROM SAID CLOSED END BEING SUCH THAT THECOMBINED WIDTH OF SAID FLAP AND SAID SIDE PANEL IS LESS THAN THE WIDTHOF SAID CENTRAL PANEL, WHEREBY SAID FLAP MAY BE READILY FOLDED OVER SAIDPOCKET AND TUCKED BEHIND SAID FRONT PANEL OVER THE CONTENTS OF SAIDRECESS TO KEEP SAID POCKET CLOSED, THE CONTENTS OF SAID RECESS REMAININGVISIBLE, SAID FLAP BEING READILY LIFTED TO EXAMINE OR REMOVE THECONTENTS OF SAID POCKET.